Pinocchio goes to Tombstone:
by CoralSnakeUSA
Summary: Pinocchio voluntarily becomes a puppet again to stop yet another attempt at building a "Pleasure Island" by the Coachman and the Ringmaster. This time in the desert around Tombstone Arizona in the time of the Earp Brothers, The Clantons and Doc Holliday
1. Bad News From Duckburg

Pinocchio goes to Tombstone:

**Featuring the Fantasy Characters;**

**Geppetto, Pinocchio, Lampwick / Romeo, Stromboli, John Worthington / Honest John, Gideon, The Blue Fairy.**

**And the historical characters;**

**Virgil Earp, Wyatt Earp, Morgan Earp, John Henry "Doc" Holliday, Mary Katherine "Big Nose Kate" Horony, Ike Clanton, Billy Clanton, Billy Claiborne, Frank McLaury, Tom McLaury, Johnny Ringo, Frank Stillwell, Pete Spense / Elliot Larkin Ferguson, Johnny Behan.**

**Cameo appearances in the first chapter by;**

**Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck and Doofus McQuack.**

Chapter 1 - Bad News From Duckburg

Pleasure Island, Collodi, Tuscany, Italy, 1882:

Within a month after Geppetto's return Pleasure Island was back in the business of boarding and schooling the orphans and unwanted children of Tuscany as well as being an amusement park for both them and paying customers. Lampwick's popular sling shot shooting gallery was back in business as was the roller coaster. This time as an open air ride built to more spectacular specifications than it had either originally or as a boy to donkey conversion machine. The school was rebuilt to its original specifications and no sign that had ever been stables for selling boys into slavery as donkeys remained. Pinocchio and Lampwick reverted to their old habits from before the Ringmaster took over the Island of attending their regular schooling there and going to the Duckburg side of the connection to attend Junior Woodchuck meetings. Pinocchio and lamp wick also added some new things to the Duckburg side the most important of which was meeting place for a Chickadee troop that adjoined the Junior Woodchuck meeting house. This was because girls were included in the children to be boarded on the Pleasure Islands again and Pinocchio and Lampwick saw them as wanting to be a part of a Junior Woodchucks like organization as well. There were also special parts of the Child Boarding areas of both Islands dedicated to the needs of girls. However for most Pleasure Island residents operating the rides and games and being part of the island's shows became more fun for them than merely riding and playing them and park operation became a part of their schooling.

However once again bad news hampered this otherwise happy scene. Usually when Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck and Doofus McQuack came to the Collodi side it meant some Junior Woodchuck function or simply that they wanted to visit their new found friends from 1882 Tuscany. But not this time.

"The Coachman broke jail!" Huey announced. "He seemed to have been helped by some kind of Giant Scorpion conjured up magically by another man in what looked to be a marching band uniform with a yellow coachman like top hat."

"That man you describe as having helped the Coachman escape is the Ringmaster" Pinocchio returned, "The adopted son of the Coachman and the one who took over this Island for a time last month."

"So that means that we have two creeps that can turn boys into donkeys on the loose and one of them can also conjure up Godzilla sized scorpions!" Dewey said. "Isn't that wonderful !" he continued sarcastically.

"Well we knew that this was coming for at least a month." Pinocchio showed the duck boys one of the new wanted posters now placed all over Pleasure Island and also over Italy as well bearing the photographs of the Coachman and the Ringmaster. As these posters were in Italian the duck boys had to resort to the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook to read them.

"That's a rather big reward in both Lira and Dollars that they are putting out for them." Doofus said. "I never wanted to ever see them again and now I would like to be the one to capture them."

"I think Everybody would." Pinocchio returned. "But they are nowhere to be found in the Italy of this time."

"Perhaps they are in Duckburg." Lampwick returned. "Maybe the Junior Woodchucks or the Duckburg police should set up posters with a big reward all over the place like this."

"I doubt that they are in Duckburg either." Pinocchio returned.

"What makes you think that?" Louie asked.

"A month ago I had a dream in which I was fighting their scorpions at the same time as another mortal fight was occurring on the end of a street opposite where the scorpions and I were in a place called Tombstone in the Arizona Territory of a world a few months younger than this one where this version of Tuscany is only known as a fairy tale." Pinocchio answered.

All of a sudden the sky a blue light showed up before the boys. It materialized into the Blue Fairy. This was the first time the fairy ever showed up like this in the daytime.

"You don't have to tell me that another trip is coming." Pinocchio told the fairy. "I knew it was coming for at least a month now."

"You should." the fairy returned. "I was the source of that dream you had. However I felt you should have a break from your journeys for me until the Coachman and the Ringmaster proved themselves to be a danger again. Well they have. They have built an amusement park designed to turn boys into donkeys on outside Tombstone in the Arizona Territory of America in the 1881 of a timeline where your timeline only exists as a fictional children's story. Because of this your trip there wont violate any causality laws relating to your previous existence here in the year 1881."

"There is another thing about this new ride through the Wishing Star." Pinocchio said. "In the dream I was a living puppet again. Why is this necessary for this trip."

"That is for your own protection." The fairy returned. "The only thing the Tombstone of the Earp Brothers and the Dodge City of Matt Dillon have in common is that they are both 19th century Western American towns. Tombstone is much more dangerous because it is inhabited by people like "Doc" Holliday and the Clanton, McLaury gang all of whom specialize in giving you an extra navel by the most expedient means possible. Also "Doc" Holliday has Terminal Consumption and can easily spread it to your boy form should you come across him."

"But I will be dealing with the giant scorpions that the Ringmaster is capable of popping up if the dream is completely true."

"That is why for this trip you will be armed, but NOT against people." the fairy said. "I'm authorized to give you a weapon similar in form to the western "Peacemaker" but one that will only be effective against creatures of magic like the Ringmaster's enlarged scorpions or any other monsters he might "pop up" as you say."

"Will I be allowed to have anyone accompanying me on this trip?" Pinocchio asked.

"Yes," the fairy answered. "You may take your father Geppetto and your adopted brother Romeo, Stromboli should also accompany you because of his experience with puppets and his wagons which you will definitely be needing for transportation and you should also consider taking John Worthington and Gideon along with you. As for the Huey, Dewey, Louie and Doofus, I would like you four to get some Junior Woodchuck leaders to come over to this side and help them hold the fort here while Geppetto, Stromboli, John Worthington and Gideon are gone."

"You mean you don't want us for Tombstone?" Huey asked rather sadly.

"As I said before I think that place is simply to dangerous for non native flesh and blood boys weather duck or human. That's why I'm insisting that Pinocchio re assume the puppet form for this trip. And anyway even with the help of Junior Woodchuck leaders I think you will find running both parks and child care centers to be excitement enough.

Even though the prospect of another trip was known for a month Geppetto was still not prepared for it. However as soon as Pinocchio told him of the Fairy's appearance Geppetto got the new assignment's participants organized and waiting at the great oak doors of Pleasure Island. These Included Pinocchio, Lampwick, Stromboli together with his puppets, wagons and horse, John Worthington and Gideon. Both of these took special pains to dress themselves so that they would look like humans in accurate animal like theatrical costume rather than real anthropomorphic animals. The arrangements trip would have the participants pose as a puppetry and theatrical troupe looking to perform in Tombstone's famous Bird Cage Theater.

The Blue fairy then placed one of her transport bubbles around the group. At this point all of its members were armed with Colt SAA Revolvers but with hollow glass cylinders replacing the regular bulleted cartridges in them and Pinocchio became a puppet again this time voluntarily and not at the behest of a wicked sorceress like Magica De Spell. "Those glass cylinders do not kill but will capture within them anything using magic to take advantage of you when the hammer falls on them." The fairy said. "They can also be used to capture the Coachman and the Ringmaster and transfer them to the appropriate police authorities in Duckburg and Collodi respectively. This time we will capture and imprison the both of them for sure. Remember however we're not using them as such these are still firearms and ammunition under the law of Tombstone in the period of 1881 that you will be going to and will have to be "checked" at one of the entrance corrals to the town. You should also have one of the Coachman and Ringmaster wanted posters with you as maybe the Earp brothers can help you with their location when they are actually in town.

"We have one." Geppetto said. "It's under Pinocchio's hat with Jiminy."

"So you are still seeing Jiminy as a part of your family even though you have your own conscience now." The fairy said to Pinocchio. "More proof that I have chosen right for both him and you. Now we must get going." The fairy lifted the transport bubble into the sky toward the wishing star.

Tombstone, Arizona Territory, 1881;

Once the transport bubble landed outside of town the group took assigned positions in the wagons. Stromboli and Geppetto took the front wagon with Stromboli being the driver as only he could handle the horse. John Worthington, Gideon, Lampwick and Pinocchio took the last one. Their first stop in town was the Marshal's office. Like in Dodge City this was a brick and plaster building designed to contain a secure jail. Its front office contained three desks each occupied by a man with dressed all in black except for their white shirts and silver Marshall's badges with rather large moustaches. One of these men had a moustache of a very long handlebar type. This was the one that Geppetto addressed. "Is this the place where you check firearms if you aren't going to any of the corrals according to your local Ordinance number 9.

"Yes," The handle bar mustached man said. "You can check them here, leave them in your wagons if they are going to be your place to stay while you are here or check them at any hotel you are going to be staying at. You simply can't carry them on your person on the public streets that fall within the town limits."

"I'll just check them here for now." Geppetto said. "We are simply a puppetry and theatrical group interested in getting an engagement at the Bird Cage Theater because we heard that it is the best theater in the western territories. We are not interested in bringing any violence against people into your town. You will soon see when I bring the rest of the troupe in to check their firearms." Geppetto left the office and came back with Pinocchio, Lampwick, Stromboli, John Worthington and Gideon.

"Well," the handle bar mustached man said. "You are an amazing troupe indeed. I would swear that the ones costumed as a fox and a cat were actually a fox and a cat if I didn't know any better and that the younger boy in the Tyrolean outfit was really a marionette puppet without strings. Now come on, this perfect level of costuming doesn't happen in a simple theatrical troupe. Tell me the reason you are really here."

"Well, if you must know we are somewhat lawmen ourselves and after a couple of criminals wanted in our home country that are believed to be here." Geppetto said. "Pinocchio, give this man the poster you are keeping under your hat."

Pinocchio gave the handle bar mustached man his poster being sure not to reveal the matchbox containing Jiminy Cricket which was also under his hat. Even though the handle bar mustached man could not read the Italian its words were printed in he knew all too well what the poster was. He had seen plenty of similarly formatted posters in English in his years as a lawman. It was a wanted poster."

"Have you seen either of them here." Pinocchio asked.

"Yes," the handle bar mustached man answered. "They are the ones building the amusement park outside town."

"That's bad news." Geppetto returned. "Their criminal activity in the old country always involved a special method of kidnapping and selling children into slavery that I'm not at liberty to go into at the present time through the use of amusement parks. By the way what is your name if we should have to meet on this again.

My name is Geppetto, the boys are my sons Pinocchio and Romeo, The ones costumed as a fox and a cat are John Worthington and Gideon and the one dressed as a Gypsy is our puppeteer Stromboli when we do function as a theatrical troupe."

"I'm Wyatt Earp." The handlebar mustached man said. "The older man is my brother Virgil and the younger one is my brother Morgan."

Virgil Earp was looking at the guns that the group surrendered. He found that the firing pins were filed so that they would never touch the primer of a real cartridge and that the cartridges in them and in their cartridge belts were made of some glass like material. "It is not necessary to check these Mr. Geppetto." Virgil said. "From what I can see they have been modified into harmless stage props and Ordinance Number 9 only applies to fully functional firearms and knives. Just keep these in your wagons or your hotel room until whatever performance you intend to put on with them and they will be okay."

With that Geppeto and his group left the Marshal's office for the wagons. There he locked the guns up in the cage that Stromboli used to lock Pinocchio up in during his second change into a puppet. He then returned to the marshals office and asked Vergil Earp "Where would the Bird Cage Theater and the New Amusement park be?"

"The Bird Cage Theater is on Allen Street," Virgil answered. "For the amusement park which is called Pleasure Town just follow Allen Street or Freemont Street to the south and out of town. However I strongly recommend that you don't go there looking for any theatrical engagements."

"Why not," Geppetto asked.

"There was a very unusual death of a prospector near Pleasure Town about a week ago." Virgil answered. "I mean, I've seen people shot, knived, swung, scalped and drowned but this guy was digested from the inside out, like it was the work of some giant spider or scorpion that did the job.

"I can tell you right now it was a scorpion that did it." Geppetto said. "These people I'm after are quite adept in turning normal animals and venomous vermin into monsters. I can tell you that is the absolute truth because either I or my sons had to deal with three of their monsters already two overgrown sperm whales and one overgrown scorpion."

"Then it would seem that you are as ready to deal with your destiny as I am mine." Virgil said as he noticed a middle aged bearded man walking the sidewalk in front of the Marshal's office. "That's Ike Clanton and he would sooner give you an extra navel as look at you."

"If he doesn't walk too far out of town in the wring direction and the Ringmaster's scorpions don't give him one first." Geppetto said.

"Ringmaster," Virgil said. "Who is he?"

"He is the younger African man on Pinocchio's poster." Geppetto returned. "The older British one is known simply as the Coachman."

"Well, I'll be seeing you at the Bird Cage Theater if you ever attend shows there." Geppetto said as soon as he could see that Ike Clanton was well out of the way and then left the Marshal's office. He then got on the driver's seat of the first wagon with Stromboli. "We have to find a street called Allen Street to find the theater." Geppetto told him.

**Next - Pleasure Island in the Desert.**

**Pinocchio and Lampwick spy out the Coachman's and the Ringmaster's latest amusement park from a safe distance. (Remember those monster scorpion guards.)**

**Note - The reason I'm using scorpions rather than whales at the newest park's monster guards in this story is because they fit the new park's and Tombstone's desert surroundings better than whales do. ;c)**


	2. Pleasure Island in the Desert

Chapter 2 - Pleasure Island in the Desert

After a night of sleep in the wagons Geppetto and his family were ready to scout out the new park that the Coachman and the Ringmaster set up in Tombstone. Geppetto figured immediately that even though they both represented the law in Tombstone that the Earp brothers, Sheriff Behan and Deputy Sheriff Stillwell were too busy feuding with each other to be very much of a help in the matter of the Coachman and the Ringmaster. It seemed to be that one side of that feud, The Earps were against the crooked activities of the Clanton / McLaury gang while the Behan / Stillwell faction supported them for the money that their activities brought into Tombstone's assorted Faro banks, poker tables, saloons and even less moral businesses. Furthermore even if it wasn't for the feud between the two lawman factions of Tombstone the Earps would not me of much help anyway. If there were monster scorpions guarding the new park those would be at least partially creatures of magic just like the monster scorpion on pleasure Island when it was run by the Ringmaster was and just like both Monstro whales were. Ordinary firearms would have no effect on such combinations of animal and cursed magic.

Pinocchio and Lampwick sat themselves atop the second wagon with Pinocchio singing a westernized version of There are No Strings on Me he eventually wanted to try out at the Bird Cage Theater to while away the time while they looked for a safe place to spy on the Coachman's and Ringmaster's new park.

The deserts around Tombstone were largely the home of the Native Americans of the Apache Nation along with several silver mining interests. One part of this region was bought by the Coachman and the Ringmaster from one of the mining interests and his and the Ringmaster's new park which was called Pleasure Town was built upon it. Pleasure Town has a single street midway in the form of a typical Westertn Street with rides built all around it. These rides included a vertical wheel, an enclosed roller coaster, an open air roller coaster and a Carousel along with other horizontal wheel rides and small trains that were unique designs of the Coachman and the Ringmaster. The enclosed roller coaster had clown faces for an entrance and exit just as the one set up by the Ringmaster on Pleasure Island did and its purpose was obviously the same.

Pinocchio continued to take inventory of the attractions in the new park from a safe point atop a mesa with a road leading to its summit when one of the outside "attractions showed up. It was a scorpion of immense size but thoroughly streamlined shape. "The ringmaster sure knows how to pick them." Pinocchio said.

"Even at monstro size I can recognize the Arizona Bark Scorpion, the most venomous of its kind in this territory." As he was saying this another gigantic bark scorpion came into view. If these were still natural scorpions a fight to the death where one would have stung, pre digested and eaten the other would have ensued. However the Ringmaster's magic kept them from following their natural instincts and they simply continued around the park in opposite directions.

Lampwick was looking down on the road to the park from the opposite side of the mesa from Pinocchio and discovered something just as disturbing but for a different reason. This was the Ringmaster having a conversation with three cowboy types. Lampwick could see from their clothing who the cowboy types were. They were the McLaury brothers and deputy Sheriff Frank Stilwell. "This is all we need." Lampwick said.

"The fairy told us to stay clear of those three and now they appear to have inserted themselves in our business as well as that of the Earps.

"What do you mean." Pinocchio asked.

"I just got an eyeful of the outlaw deputy Stilwell, the McLaury brothers and the Ringmaster talking about something." Lampwick returned.

"Shouldn't be too surprised at that." Pinocchio said. "Birds of a feather do flock together. However if this is the time in American history I think it is we shouldn't have to worry about any deals the Ringmaster and the Coachman come up with concerning the Clanton's, McLaurys and Frank Stilwell for to much longer."

"Why do you say that." Lampwick asked.

"Because if this the period in Arizona history I think it is then both of the McLaurys and one of the Clantons will be as dead as a mackerel in Monstro's gut come three in the afternoon next Saturday." Pinocchio said.

"Are you sure of this?" Lampwick asked.

"Yes, At least if this timeline is representing a similar event from the Duckburg World I read about in the Junior Woodchucks Guidebook." Pinocchio answered.

"What exactly is supposed to happen next Saturday at three in the afternoon?" Lampwick asked.

"The Earp brothers and Doc Holliday and two of the Clantons, Ike and Billy, both of the McLaurys and Billy Clayborne, are to meet in a gunfight in an ally by a photographer's studio in the vicinity of the OK Corral. Pinocchio answered. "I know the same thing will happen here because I will be engaged with those two bark scorpions at that same three o' clock hour according to my dream. You see I heard a series of gunshots in the direction opposite that of the scorpions I was confronting in my dream at exactly the same time I was engaging them. I believe that those gunshots were the Earp, Holliday, Clanton, McLaury gunfight."

"You mean your assignment this time is to take on those scorpions on one side of Tombstone while two feuding factions are shooting it out on the other?" Lampwick shouted. "The Blue fairy has come up with some toughies before but this one takes the cake. No wonder she wanted you to be a puppet again for this."

"Well lets see if we can get of this mesa and up closer to the Ringmaster and the McLaurys." Pinocchio returned. "I really would like to know what these three are up to."

"But the scorpions." Lampwick returned.

"They probably will not leave the vicinity of the new boy to donkey factory." Pinocchio returned. "They are under the restraints of magic to stay there."

Pinocchio and Lampwick proceeded down the mesa's gentle slope with the road on it, soon they found a convenient cactus bush that was close enough to both hide themselves and overhear the converstation between the three crooks.

"Now you have this straight." the Ringmaster said. "You are to have the boys on Allen street by the Bird Cage Theater this Friday night and no double crossing Mr. Frank McLaury. You have seen what we are capable of with our parks guardians and we have other methods of dealing with double crossers that are as far above your six guns as the stars above the sky."

"You are the one who is double crossing." Frank McLaury announced. "The deal was that you use those guardians of yours on the Earps and Doc Holliday this coming Saturday and you get your boys to change into jackasses NEXT Friday. You seem to forget that the Clantons and McLaurys run things in this county

And we aim to keep it that way. By the way you will also be taxed for every boy you change into a donkey at an equal rate for Mexicans, Settlers and Indians alike."

"Fair enough." The Ringmaster said. "We'll do things your way for now. But don't depend on this state of affairs remaining the same when Pleasure Town is fully established."

With that the meeting between the McLaurys and the Ringmaster broke up. The McLaurys got back on their horses and headed back towards town with Deputy Sheriff Stilwell. Pinocchio and Lampwick also returned to the Mesa overlooking the park Just as both of the scorpion guardians were in view again making another of their endless circumnavigations of it.

"Then there is no doubt about it." Lampwick said. "Those two monsters are going to be in town on the day of the gunfight."

"Now I see why we are here." Pinocchio said. "I believe the fairy would stop this if she could but since she can't she wants to keep it fair at least. All earthly firearms one end of the street and all magic on the other.

We're here to keep the two from mixing as the McLaurys, Stilwell and the Ringmaster intended as well as to capture the Coachman and the Ringmaster ."

Pinocchio and Lampwick returned to the center of the mesa where the wagons were parked. "We've found what we came here to see." Pinocchio announced to Stromboli and Geppetto. "Time to go back to town."

After Pinocchio and Lampwick again placed themselves atop the second wagon Stromboli led his horse back to the road and back into Tombstone.

**Next - Friday Night at the Bird Cage Theater.**


	3. The Bird Cage Theater

Chapter 3 - The Bird Cage Theater.

Once again Stromboli's wagons were parked in the empty lot behind the Bird Cage theater. All of their passengers were sure of one thing however. No matter what deals the Coachman and the Ringmaster were making with the McLaurys and Stillwell he was certain that they were going to trick boys into their new Pleasure Town on midnight Friday as was their usual method of operation on their own.

"There is only one way we can stop Pleasure Town from going into operation tonight." Pinocchio said. "A puppet show."

"Buta how do you proposea we do this." Stromboli said. "All ofa my puppet operators anda musicians are back ona Pleasure Island Collodi."

"I'm sure that the Bird Cage Theater can supply the musicians." Pinocchio said. "And you and my father are

Both puppet operators. You can also teach Lampwick, John Worthington and Gideon. Jiminy is good at voices and I will have him in the matchbox under my hat while the show is going on."

"There area problems witha the Bird Cage Theater however." Stromboli said. "Generally it isa an adult theater with a saloon, housea of ill fame and faro and poker games operating from it. "Hardly a suitable environment fora boys."

"But more suitable than Pleasure Town." Pinocchio said. "Especially if we can get the management of the place to have a children's night in the theater alone in return for a cut of the profit's the puppet show will bring in. At least we have to make a try at producing a competitive attraction to Pleasure Town. Because my guess is that even if the Clantons and McLaurys and Stilwell aren't going to do anything tonight that the Ringmaster, the Coachman or both have hired out other Tombstone bottom feeders to bring boys their coaches tonight."

Stromboli and Geppetto went into the Theater to ask about scheduling the puppet show and Lampwick and Pinocchio continued the conversation.

"And if your puppet show does not work." Lampwick said.

"Then we will have to surrender ourselves to the Ringmaster and The Coachman." Pinocchio returned. "And don't worry if we have to do this. Remember, it is what is in your heart that turns you into a donkey and not their magic alone."

"I wasn't thinking about donkeys in our case." Lampwick returned. "I was thinking more in terms of scorpion fodder."

"You don't have to worry about that either." Pinocchio said producing his revolver. "The "ammo" in this was designed to work against magic and the scorpion monsters are creatures of magic. One shot and they return to their normal size and you step on them with good shoes so you don't get stung to death, end of story."

"You are sure confident about this one Pinokey" Lampwick returned.

"Look at it this way." If Geppetto is our father then the Blue Fairy is our mother so to speak because she gave both of us our lives as a boy even though the thought it well to change mine back to a puppet for the time we are in Tombstone for my protection. Do you think your mother would really put you in a situation too hazardous for you to handle? You see that is probably another reason we will NOT be involved in the real gunfight at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon, We rather will be involved with the Coachman's and Ringmaster's scorpion monsters which we are equipped to handle."

"We may be equipped to handle them but they still give me the creeps." Lampwick said. "Remember, those things don't swallow you into some intermediate compartment where you don't digest like a monstro does. They sting you to death, digest you outside their body and suck you up."

Stromboli's and Geppetto's return to the wagons ended the conversation about the scorpions.

"You have your puppet show." Stromboli said. "The only conditions are that ita be outside the Bird Cage Theater itself because asa I told you the other activities that go on ina there Are nota fit for children. The Bird Cage however will provide the musicians that we need."

"What about the facilities to run it from?" Pinocchio asked.

"Don'ta you remember our first encounter." Stromboli returned. "Thesea wagons have everything except the musicians needed fora setting up a temporary puppet theater. We cana start the set up right now.

Within a couple of hours the puppet theater stage was set up in the lot behind the Bird Cage Theater. John Worthington and Gideon took charge of the advertising and a new albeit smaller attraction to compete with the Coachman's and the Ringmaster's park was under way.

Pleasure Town, Outside Tombstone, Arizona Territory, 1881:

For once the Coachman admired the accomplishments of his son. Pleasure Town was built in such a way that the "jackass" behavior of bad boys would mount more and more the further into the park they went finally leading up to the boy to donkey conversion roller coaster at the very end of the street. At the very beginning of the new park was tobacco row, followed by faro, poker and chuck a luck wheel of chance games at the middle of the midway. The pool tables and bear bars were next. And the "jackass" games that encouraged vandalism and violence against, parents, teachers, marshals and other authority figures were placed at the very end of the midway right before the entrance stairs to the roller coaster. There were of course other rides in pleasure town but the whole main midway was built around "jackass" behavior and ushering boys onto the roller coaster where the boy to donkey conversion would take place. Behind the roller coaster were shipping facilities designed to ship donkeys to assorted places of hard animal labor such as farms, ranches and the Tombstone and Virginia City silver mines. The whole thing was set up for quick daily "mass production" of boys converted to donkeys by the Ringmaster's Alexandrian magic.

So far however Pleasure Town was only inhabited by the assorted Bird Cage Theater rejects which would act as the places showmen and barkers, the uniformed guards with the scorpion sting hats and the Coachman and the Ringmaster themselves.

"Yes I have to admit that this place is a brilliant design." The Coachman told his adopted son. "However this still would have not worked on the original Pleasure Island. That place needed something like the red star to bring the original abandoned park back to life in order to make it usable."

"I don't know. I had the original Pleasure Island working pretty much along these lines when I owned it." The Ringmaster Returned.

"But only after you waited for Geppetto to fix the place up for you." The Coachman said.

"Come to think of Geppetto," the Ringmaster said. "I think he and his so called family are here in Tombstone and probably after us."

"And just what makes you think this?" the Coachman asked.

"Some of our in town barkers I hired to bring boys to the coaches have been reporting there is a puppet show going on featuring a boy pretending to be a living puppet without strings outside the Bird Cage Theater tonight." the Ringmaster answered.

"Pretending my eye," the Coachman returned. "That just happens to be that thorn in the flesh toothpick Pinocchio again. So his fairy mom seems to think that changing him back into a puppet again will, protect him from us. Well, we'll just see about that. We're going to crash that puppet show tonight and kidnap every boy there. They will fall for our park as they always and be donkeys for the silver mines while that Pinocchio becomes fire wood and Lampwick becomes pre digested din din for our guardians."

"You mean you aren't going to try to turn them into donkeys." the Ringmaster asked.

"Too late for that." the Coachman answered. "They both are too far into that fairy's and Geppetto's way of thinking to ever do the "jackass" behaviors needed to make the magic work on them ever again. Therefore they have to go to the park bonfire and to the scorpions."

Behind the Bird Cage Theater, Tombstone, Arizona Territory, 1881:

Just as Pinocchio had hopped the tiny puppet theater behind the Bird Cage Theater was attracting the children of Tombstone's miners from all over town. Stromboli and a brass band waited toward the side of the little theater to start the show. Geppetto, Lampwick, John Worthington and Gideon were acting as puppeteers behind the was on stage at the top of the stairway where his percormances always began and Jiminy acting as the voices of the other puppets took his usual place under Pinocchio's hat.

Stromboli came foreword to start the show. "Now itsa time to showa you ladies and gentlemen that wea have a much better attraction than thata new amusement park outside town. May I presenta to you for the firsta time in America the only puppet that cana sing and dance without the aid of strings. Laidies and Gentlemen, the one and only Pinocchio.

Not only were kids in attendence but many of the famous adults in Tombstone were there too. Wyatt, Morgan and Virgil Earp were present in the audience as were Doc Holliday and his on and off notorious girl friend Big Nose Kate. The former three were probably there to keep the law at the show since that was their profession but it was anybody's guess why the other two were there. Holliday was an infamous Faro bank as well as an infamous gunfighter and Kate was also known as a major house of ill fame operator. Also present were some of Tombstone's more blatant bottom feeders including the law on the other side of the law Sheriff Behan and Deputy Stilwell and Clanton / McLaury gang members Billy Claiborne, Johnny Ringo and Pete Spense.

The curtain opened to Pinocchio standing at the top of his stairway apparently on strings like any other puppet. The hired musicians gave a trumpet fanfare together puppets accompanying it on the stage in band uniforms. Then Pinocchio's regular song started.

I've got no strings - to hold me down.

To make me fret or make me frown.

This time Pinocchio did not fall down like with his first attempt at doing this performance. Doing it several times made him very confident about descending those stairs in a dancing manner. At the bottom he went into his regular dance.

I had strings - but now I'm free

There are no strings on me.

Hi ho the marryo - that's the only way to be.

I want the world do know - nothing ever worries me.

It was with seeing Pinocchio dance the way that he did that the audience realized his puppet "costume" was not a fake. If they were paying they were getting exactly what they paid for. No human could perform the motions the puppet boy on the stage did, only a real magic stringless puppet could.

I would absolutely swear that is a real animated puppet on that stage. Wyatt Earp said to his brothers Morgan and Virgil.

That is the only conclusion that I can come up with too. Virgil said. These people may come from Italy but it is the Italy of another reality, like something out of those new fangled science fiction books they are publishing in Europe.

Well, just keep that kind of talk to ourselves." Morgan said. "The last thing we need id for the population of this town to think we are a bunch of nuts."

I've got no strings - So I have fun.

I'm not tied up to anyone.

They have strings - but you can see.

There are no strings on me.

Hi ho the marryo, I'm as happy as can be.

I want the world to know.

Nothing ever worry's me.

Suddenly a photograph of the front of the Bird Cage theater slammed down behind Pinocchio and the new part of the show designed for a Tombstone audience began with a chorus line of female puppets dressed as saloon girls.

Jiminy Cricket under Pinocchio's hat provided the "voice" for the main one of these.

You have no strings, can this be true.

To hold me like a buckaroo.

If we could dance - this whole song through.

I'd bust my strings for you.

Pinocchio then engaged in a square dance routine with the main female puppet while the others danced in the background in a chorus line style to a saloon piano version of the there are no strings on me music..

Meanwhile in the audience others were looking on the show with different ideas in their hearts than the Earp brothers. "I think it's time to crash this kiddie amateur hour." deputy Stilwell told Johnny Ringo. "Go get the Coachman and the Ringmaster."

Ringo left the puppet show discreetly as it's next new act involving male Native American puppets along with a single female one in front of a photograph of a Native American village went into action.

Once again Jiminy provided the "voice" for the female stringed puppet.

You have no strings - so I now swoon.

To love you for - many a moon.

If to my village - you'll go to.

I'd cut my strings for you.

This led to the last act of the show featuring cowboy puppets with a female one in a cow girl's outfit. However this was where the show was stopped by a gunshot. Everybody looked behind them to see the Coachman and the Ringmaster together with deputy Stilwell and Johnny Ringo at the entrance to the rear lot. Stilwell was holding the weapon that was fired.

"Break this up." Stilwell said. "You have to have a permit to run outside amusements in this town."

Wyatt Earp broke in. "That is for amusements on public property. This is on private property of the Bird Cage Theater and an entirely legal show being run by that theater in a way that children can see it without having to expose themselves to the goings on in the main theater."

"You have no Jurisdiction here Earp." Stilwell said. "The law requiring permits for outside performances and amusements is a county ordinance, not a town or federal one. Now you Earps we'll deal with later but all children and adults not in law enforcement are under arrest. The children will be taken to the licensed amusement park outside town and the adults can march to jail NOW." Stilwell cocked and shot his revolver again to emphasize that he was in charge.

Pretty soon Pleasure Town's coaches came into the lot driven by the now all to familiar black uniformed guards with the scorpion sting hats. This time there was no discrimination, both boy and girl puppet show attendees were loaded on the coaches after which they departed to pleasure town.

"I wonder what they would want the girls for." Pinocchio asked Jiminy. "As far as I know girls don't change into donkeys."

"They probably don't" Jiminy answered. "They are just being taken to make all this look like a legitimate arrest."

Pinocchio kept quiet as two of the guards approached him. One guard shouted "This one has a red headed accomplice, find him." The guard who had Pinocchio shouted to the other one. "The coachman and the Ringmaster have something special for the both of them."

Lampwick allowed himself to be found. Pinocchio was both a best friend and a brother to him now and he was not about to let Pinocchio face the Coachman and the Ringmaster alone. Both of them were very roughly placed in a coach driven by the Coachman personally that was off to Pleasure Town as soon as it was loaded and locked. There were only three passengers in this particular coach. Pinocchio, Lampwick and the Ringmaster.

Next - Pleasure Town


	4. Pleasure Town

Chapter 4 - Pleasure Town

Pleasure Town, Outside Tombstone, Arizona Territory, 1881:

The circuit of the two giant scorpions around Pleasure Town was the timing element that the Coachman, the Ringmaster and their guards used to safely bring the boys into the new park. It basically took the scorpions about two hours to meet in their magically assigned circles at the road to Pleasure Towns entrance the only time that magic would be broken was if there was something large enough to be a pray animal in one of the circles. That was what happened to the unfortunate prospector a week ago. He inadvertently crossed one of the circles at the time its assigned scorpion was in the area thereby temporarily breaking the spell that kept the scorpion in the circle and allowing it to chase down its quickie lunch, the said prospector before re assuming its assigned magic circular track again.

The safest time to bring coaches full of boys into pleasure town was in the even hours of the day. This was when both scorpions were meeting on the opposite side of the circles from the entrance to Pleasure Town and therefore totally oblivious to anything occurring at the entrance. This also helped to hide these ultimate guards of Pleasure Town from the incoming boys. However one coach stayed behind. Its drivers were safe even with the scorpions present because they controlled the magic that both enlarged them and kept them on their circular tracks. Those were the Ringmaster and the Coachman.

The top of the odd hour of five o'clock was approaching when the Coachman's voice rang so that his only pasengers Pinocchio and Lampwick could hear it. "Lampwick, see your FUTURE!" it said. Just at that time one of the scorpions appeared in Lampwick's window. At first it was in the distance and small but as it approached the coach it became a monster the size of Pleasure town itself with its sting suspended on a tail that was yards in the air.

"However the time is not yet." the Coachman said. "First we put puppet boy in the Pleasure Town bonfire for the boys to gawk at and get their "jackass" behavior off to a good start, then you go to the scorpions Lampwick."

"Then the change to donkeys is definitely out for us." Lampwick said.

"I'm afraid so." the Coachman said. "Even if it could happen again with you two which I doubt you have simply been a pain in my backside since Pinocchio escaped me. No, in your cases now only total elimination will work now."

The parade of coaches went into Pleasure Town and its great oak gates closed. The coaches then were emptied of their passengers with the exception of a single one that proceeded to an animal cage wagon what was to be the zoo area of the park when it was fully established. "Now you two are going to change wagons until we are ready for you." the Coachman said.

The guards around Pinocchio and Lampwick used their venomous hats to guide the boys out of the coach and into the cage wagon." the Ringmaster who controlled the keys to the various locked parts of the park locked the cage wagon door on them.

"I think it's time to make a wish if the star is out tonight." Lampwick said. "This is really starting not to work out."

"Yes, it really didn't seem when the fairy made me a puppet again to protect me from bullets and Mr. Holliday's consumption that she had bonfires in mind." Pinocchio made his wish as soon as the Wishing Star made its showing. "Star Light, Star Bright, The first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might. Have the wish I make tonight.

Suddenly something came out of the wormhole associated with the Wishing Star. It was a transport bubble accompanied by the music of a classical string quartet.

Ta Da, Ta Da Da Da. Ta Da Da Da, Ta Da Da,

Ta Da Da, Ta Da Da, Ta Da Da, Ta Daa.

Ta Da, Ta Da Da Da. Ta Da Da Da, Ta Da Da,

Ta Da Da, Ta Da Da, Ta Da Da, Taa Daa!

The music continued until the transport bubble landed by the cage wagon. When it disappeared its passenger did not look like much help however. It was a boy the same age and size as Pinocchio when he was in his boy form only with blond rather than black hair and dressed in a Russian rather than Tyrolean outfit. That outfit consisted of a red military style visor cap, a red Russian tunic reddish pink pants and black boots. His only armament consisted of a pop gun rifle with its cork projectile attached to it by a string. The new little boy aimed this seemingly harmless device at the cage wagon's lock and shot the cork at it. It seemed to miraculously unlock when the cork hit it.

"Hello," the new little boy said when the cage door opened. "My name is Peter, what's yours."

"Pinocchio" said Pinocchio.

"Romeo" Lampwick said. "But most people call me Lampwick.

It was Pinocchio who notice there were other passengers in the transport bubble in the form of a orange adult cat, a woodpecker like bird and a greenish duck. "Who are they" Pinocchio asked.

"The bird is names Sasha, the Duck is named Sonya and the cat is named Ivan." Peter returned. "I never go anywhere without them since the four of us successfully captured a wolf that was playing havoc on our village."

"That sounds just like me and Jiminy." Pinocchio said. "Since I, my father and Jiminy had a similar experience with a whale named Monstro I've never gone anywhere without him either."

"Jiminy," Peter said. "I don't see any third person or an animal with you."

"I'll show you." Pinocchio said. He took off his hat and got the special matchbox out of its compartment. He opened it and showed the anthropomorphic cricket to Peter. "That's Jiminy. My all time friend and my sometimes conscience when I'm in this puppet form."

Sasha started licking his beak like chops at the site of the cricket but was quickly stopped by Peter. "Now Sasha we do not eat the people we have come here to rescue."

"Sasha may not but we do." another voice came from behind Peter. He looked behind him to see another figure mainly decked out in red, the Coachman.

"Another pint sized pain in the backside for the scorpions." the Coachman said. "And a Russian bloke to boot."

Peter answered the threat by aiming his pop gun at the coachman and letting the cork fly again. This time the harmless seeming projectile knocked him back about ten feet and left him stunned.

"The Fairy must have done the same job on that thing she did on our peacemakers." Jiminy said refering to Peter's pop gun.

"The Fairy." Peter said. "You mean that woman dressed in blue with wings. I thought she was an angel. It's not exactly encouraged to believe in such things in the Russia where I came from but most of us still living in villages do anyway."

"We'll I think its time we get out of here and find a hiding place until we can find a way past those scorpions out there and back to Tombstone."

"Tombstone," Peter said.

"Yes Tombstone Arizona Territory in 1881." Jiminy returned. "Exactly what tome do you come from Peter."

"1936." Peter answered. "At that time Russia as big as it is part of an even larger nation called the Soviet Union whose dictatorship actively discourages beliefs in God, angels, fairies and the like. They also don't what they call "kulacks" what ever they are and that is what happened to my grandfather. He was taken away by Stalin, the dictator's police as a "kulack" and they were getting ready to put me in a State orphanage run by the All Union Pioneer Association when the woman you call the Fairy came for me."

"Now we know why the Fairy picked you of all people to come here and rescue us." Lampwick said. "You are a good candidate for Pleasure Island in the new form my father runs is in, Isn't he Pinokey?"

"He sure is!" Pinocchio shouted. "Welcome to your new family, Peter."

"We'll take this up with Geppetto later." Jiminy said. "But we really should get out of here before the Coachman wakes up, remember those scorpions and that bonfire."

"All three boys and Peter's three pets were quick to light out of the region of the cage wagon just as the Coachman got up. He was soon as he did he was accompanied by the Ringmaster with more bad news.

"The roller coaster doesn't seem to be working." the Ringmaster said. "Everything mechanically is working okay even the magical misters that turn boys into donkeys but none of the boys are changing. I have no reason why this is happening."

"I do," The Coachman. "You brought these first boys in here with the force of deputy Sheriff Stilwell's gun and the guards' scorpion sting hats. That broke the spell which would seem to require the initial "jackass" behavior of defying ones parents and running away voluntarily to get here for any donkey fever curse to take hold. We'll just hold them here and sooner or later they will want to stay in spite of their parents wishes allowing the curse to take hold. What concerns me now is Pinocchio and Lampwick. They escaped the cage wagon with the help of a Russian boy named Peter with a toy pop gun that just wont quit."

"I don't remember any Russian kids being brought into any of the coaches by Stilwell and the guards." the Ringmaster returned.

"Of course you don't." the Coachman snapped. "That fairy that thinks she is Pinocchio's mother brought the Russian boy in and rigged that pop gun of his with its knock out punch. Well I say the Russian brat is ALL IN now, scorpion level ALL IN!"

Unlike the original Pleasure Island there were precious few places to hide in Pleasure Town. However Pinocchio found one on the roof of the roller coaster's cover building. Not only was that roof a good hiding place but it allowed a bird's eye view of the entire park and its surroundings. It was from here that Pinocchio, Peter, Lampwick and Jiminy could watch the scorpions circle the park in their two opposing circular directions. Pinocchio was the first to realize that each of their complete circuits of the park required two hours and at the top of every even hour they were before the entrance to the park and at the top of every odd hour they were on the other side of the park a safe distance from the road to Tombstone. "The boys used this information to make good their escape from Pleasure Town.

Behind the Bird Cage Theater, Tombstone, Arizona Territory, 1881:

Geppetto was astonished with the new boy. All he knew about Russians was in the form of figures that he carved for clocks and toys and had never really met one in the flesh before. However Peter's story about the loss of his grandfather to a new type of dictator that replaced the Czars told Geppetto all he needed to know about his presence with Pinocchio and Lampwick.

"Peter," Geppetto said. "I believe that the Blue Fairy brought you here for more than just rescuing my sons from the Coachman and the Ringmaster. You see we run a non state orphanage that used to be one of the parks the Coachman and the Ringmaster used to turn boys into donkeys but I believe that you deserve more than that for rescuing my sons from the scorpions and the Pleasure Town bonfire. Not only that but you,

Sasha, Sonya, and Ivan seem to be shaped by somewhat the same experiences Pinocchio, Jiminy, Lampwick, our own kitten Figgaro and our goldfish Cleo were shaped by in your own land with that wolf capture story if it's true and I believe it is and you have also experienced the fairy. How would you like to be adopted by me and be a part of our family?"

"You mean to have you as a father and Lampwick and Pinocchio as brothers?" Peter asked.

"Yes, Peter." Geppetto returned.

"That would be great!" Peter returned excitedly.

"You know," Geppetto returned to all three boys. "In this same year, 1881 on another timeline than this one I made a wish to the wishing star for a son. Today that wish has come true THREE times and all three are the most brave and unselfish sons that a father could ask for."

"When we get back to Pleasure Island you should also consider the Junior Woodchucks too." Pinocchio said. "Lampwick and I are both members of this organization from yet another timeline."

"If this Junior Woodchucks is anything like the All Union Pioneer Association forget it." Peter said. "I've had enough of propaganda and politics youth groups."

"No, the Junior Woodchucks are nothing like that." Pinocchio said. "They are an entirely privately run organization with no politics allowed as they see us kids as being too young for that. Basic patriotism yes, but no specific political ideology."

"Then it sounds more like the Boy Scouts of the United States and England of my time." Peter said. "Yes, I would enjoy being a part of an organization like that but the Scouts were outlawed where I live and the All Union Pioneer Association was their supposed replacement. Now I would like the answers to some questions the first being what are we doing in Tombstone on the night before one of its most famous gunfights?"

"Simple," Pinocchio said. "We're here to capture the two guys who captured us. They're wanted criminals in both of the timelines Pleasure Island is located on for turning boys into donkeys and selling them into slavery in salt mines. Tomorrow at the exact time of the gunfight I have to confront those scorpions at the other end of Freemont street from the gunfight."

"Why don't you let me help you with that?" Peter asked. "You know my own story shows I have experience in capturing large land based predators."

"I appreciate your volunteering Peter but this is something I have to do alone." Pinocchio said. "I believe this was one of the reasons I was made a puppet again. Puppets just don't make good scorpion fodder even if they are animated like I am."

"Then at least take this." Peter said offering his pop gun to Pinocchio. "Whatever you have for those scorpions is probably effective against them but it probably is not against the Coachman and the Ringmaster."

"Thank you." Pinocchio said taking the pop gun.

"Now that all this is settled it is time to go to sleep." Geppetto said. "All of us on both ends of Freemont Street have a big day ahead of us tomorrow with our respective criminal gangs."

With that everyone set up their bedrolls in Stromboli's wagons and went to bed for the night.

**Next, The Scorpions and the Gunfight**

**Note - In case you didn't recognize it in the story the Peter that is Geppeto's new adopted son is the Peter from Disneys version of Peter and the Wolf.**


	5. The Scorpions and the Gunfight

Chapter 5 - The Scorpions and the Gunfight

Behind the Birdcage Theater, Tombstone, Arizona Territory, 1881:

Wednesday, October 26, 1881 began pretty much like any other day except in Stromboli's wagons behind the Bird Cage Theater. The preparations were being made for the three o, clock in the afternoon confrontation between Pinocchio and the great scorpions guarding Pleasure Town when they made their appearance in Tombstone. Pinocchio had one advantage over the Earp Brothers and Doc Holliday for the three o' clock hour. He knew what was coming. While his confrontation would not be recorded in history anywhere else but the two Pleasure Islands and in the world of the fairies Pinocchio's contribution to this day would assure the end of the contamination of the Earps' timeline with his own through the Coachman, the Ringmaster and their creations of magic.

Pleasure Town, Outside Tombstone, Arizona Territory, 1881.

The children of Tombstone who were captured at Pinocchio's and Stromboli's puppet show were still prisoners of the park known as pleasure town. They were not as yet changing into donkeys but it would only be a matter of time until they fell for rather than resisting the park's temptations and the change would occur through the park's enclosed roller coaster and its magical misters. Of course the girls probably would not change at all as they never have before. In the minds of the Coachman and the Ringmaster there would be only two possible fates for them. They would be enslaved to become confectioners, bakers and cleaners for the park or they would have their own meeting with the scorpions. There could be no thought of ever letting the girls go. Once the donkey changes started amongst the boys they would witness this and know too much to ever be let loose in Tombstone or anywhere else again.

However the Scorpions would have another use before that time. According to a deal separate from the one they made with the McLaurys that they made with Deputy Stilwell the Coachman and the Ringmaster would have to eliminate the Earps and Doc Holliday in return for grabbing some of the children of Tombstone for Pleasure Town before their deal for Friday went into effect. The scorpions were to be the weapon of that murder as at their current size nothing the 19th century had in the way of weapons could resist them.

The Ringmaster since he was the one who controlled the Alexandrian Scorpion Magic that created both the giant scorpions and the invisible tracks they were currently following around Pleasure Town was the one who had to carry out Pleasure Town's part of the deal with Stilwell. With a few arcane waves of his arms the invisible tracks changed from a circular path around Pleasure town to an invisible road into Tombstone aimed straight down Freemont street around Western Tombstone and back to Pleasure Town where it would rejoin the circular track again. Neither the Coachman or the Ringmaster would even have to follow the scorpions to give them additional magical instructions. Everything from the specific path they were to take into town and back and the specific people they were to sting to death, pre digest and eat, the Earps and Doc Holliday was already programmed into them with those few arm waves from the Ringmaster making those scorpions the world's first "fire and forget" weapon. It was two o'clock in the afternoon when the scorpions reached the point in their circular tracks where they would enter the new track to Tombstone. At their average walking speed which was slowed somewhat by their size the scorpions would be in Tombstone at 3 o'clock.

Marshal's Office, Tombstone, Arizona Territory, 1881:

The first report that the McLaurys and Billy Clayborne were seen armed in the vicinity of the OK Corral in defiance of Town Ordinance number 9 came about two forty five in the afternoon. This brought the Earps into action saving them from a possible scorpion attack on the Marshal's office but at the same time setting them up for what would be the apex of their careers as gunfighters. The Clantons and McLaurys were well known crooks in that part of the Arizona Territory whose sphere of influence included the corrupt county level law enforcers Behan and Stilwell. Wyat Earp still couldn't get over how Stilwell used an obscure county ordinance to stop Stromboli's and Pinocchio's puppet show and take the children =who viewed it to some still unknown location. But on top of that the Earps were still sure that at least some of the more obscure members from the Clanton, McLaury, Behan gang of crooks was responsible for the recent stage coach robbery in which passengers were killed that brought Ordinance Number 9 into force in the first place. (It was basically designed to disram lynch mobs and bounty hunters while they were in town to prevent them shooting up the town in search of their quarry where the stage robbery was concerned.)

Now the Earps had the Clantons and the McLaurys and their tag alongs in the same position that Stilwell had Stromboli, Geppetto, Pinocchio and Lampwick in. They were in violation of a TOWN Ordinance which the Earps were charged with enforcing. The Earps knew of the possible death that could come from the Clantons and the McLaurys however they did not know of the death headed for them from the other side of town from the OK Corral in the form of the Ringmaster's two giant scorpions as they walked out of their office soon to be joined by Doc Holliday to carry out the arrest of the Clanton, McLaury gang for violation of the town ordinance against carrying firearms in public.

Behind the Bird Cage Theater, Tombstone, Arizona Territory, 1881:

Pinocchio was ready to do his own duty in this mission for the Blue Fairy at about two forty five in the afternoon. Now he resembled a combination of western cowboy and Tyrolean garbed puppet with the exception of wearing Peter's red visor cap instead of his Tyrolean hat. Crickets and scorpions were mortal enemies so Pinocchio felt he should keep the hat with the cricket in it out of this battle thus asking his new Russian brother Peter to borrow his to put in the Tyrolean hat's place. He also carried Peter's magically enhanced pop gun with him as well as one of the anti scorpion peacemakers the fairy originally provided.

For the Earps the trip to their gunfight would be together with Doc Holliday accompanying them for a foursome. For Pinocchio toe trop to his gunfight with the Pleasure Town scorpions would be alone just as it was in the dream that began this mission. Only he in his inedible and unstingable puppet form could stand up to those scorpions and live.

He began his walk to the south at pretty much the same time that the Earps and Holliday began their walk north. In both cases the pace of the walk was slow and deliberate. Soon the quarry was in sight. Both monsters had the streamlined pincers body and sting holding tail of the deadly Arizona bark scorpion magnified by what seemed to be hundreds of times. If these monsters were not stopped before any of the town's buildings were reached they could easily destroy the town simply by crawling over it without even using their stings and pre digestive injecting mouth parts. Pinocchio took careful aim at the scorpion to his left with his modified peacemaker, cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger. Rather than a bang and smoke

The gun made a WHANGGG sound and a beam of light of the same bright blue color as the wishing star came out of its barrel. Rather than killing the scorpion the beam reduced his size by about half. At the same time 3 o'clock in the afternoon a series of more familiar gunshots could be heard to the north behind Pinocchio. Pinocchio knew from knowing the history of this time that that was the end of any deals the Coachman and the Ringmaster had with the McLaurys for eternity. He continued his own gun work on the Pleasure Town scorpions until they were no larger than normal bark Scorpions and then they were finally placed in transport bubbles and brought into the barrel of Pinocchio's gun. They were now prisoners of one of the weapon's glass cartridges. The way to Pleasure Town and the capture of the Coachman and the Ringmaster was now safely open for Pinocchio's entire family.

Once Stromboli saw that the scorpions were gone he brought the wagons up to Pinocchio who promptly took his place with Peter and Lampwick atop the second one.

"On to Pleasure Town!" Geppetto announced. "It's time to get the townspeople's' kids back to them and bring the Coachman and Ringmaster to justice!

With that Stromboli said "giddup!" to his horse and the wagons were headed for Pleasure Town.

**Next - The Fall of Pleasure Town**


	6. The Fall of Pleasure Town

Chapter 6 - The Fall of Pleasure Town

The road between Tombstone and Pleasure Town, Arizona Territory, 1881:

Even in the distance the people on the two wagons could see that Pleasure Town was now in full operation by the fireworks and search lights that erupted from it. Was it within the realm of possibilities that some of the kidnapped boy children were already turning into donkeys under the Coachman's and Ringmaster's influence. Everyone on the wagons hoped not.

I've never seen anything like that. Peter said. Lenin and Stalin never allowed that sort of thing in Soviet Russia, even if it could turn people into donkeys and get more labor our of them.

"Your Lenin and Stalin sound a lot like the Coachman and the Ringmaster in spades so I don't see why they would not have a place like this available to them." Pinocchio said.

"Simple." Peter returned. "If you would not labor for them they would not turn you into another species of animal to get the labor out of you. They would simply kill you outright, starve you to death or send you to a prison camp where they would get the labor out of you as a human until you died of overwork and the Russian cold."

"Sounds like a horrible way to live." Lampwick said. "Even WORSE than being a donkey."

"Believe me," Peter returned. "It is!, and I'm very glad your Blue Fairy came and took me out of that place so I could rescue you from your own villains.

Pleasure Town, Outside Tombstone, Arizona Territory 1881:

"Something coming this way." The Ringmaster announced to the Coachman in one of the taller buildings of Pleasure Town that seemed designed to specifically overlook the rest of the town.

"Its probably the scorpions. They should be coming back to assume their normal circular tracks around Pleasure Town." The Coachman returned.

"Its not the scorpions." The Ringmaster returned. "Its two Gypsy wagons attached to one another like a train with people atop them."

"Stromboli." The Coachman announced. "Last time I saw him he was in the Tombstone klink for running an unauthorized puppet show on the back lot of the Birdcage Theatre. When I get my hands on that Deputy Stilwell I'll find some way to turn him into a donkey for letting them loose. You can bet that Pinocchio, that new Russian brat Peter, Geppetto, Fowlfellow and all the rest of that bunch are on those wagons. Tell the guards to activate defenses."

"But the defenses might kill some of the boys and we will lose some valuable donkeys if that happens." the Ringmaster said.

"It can't be helped." the Coachman returned. "Its either that or wind up in the klink in either Duckburg or Collodi without any donkeys. We can always get stupid little boys."

With that the Ringmaster shouted to the head guard who was at the bottom of the building. "Activate Defenses!"

"Activate Defenses." the head guard shouted to all the others. They took their hats off and waved their hands over them each in a specific individual arcane way and the hats grew from stings alone into wolf sized Arizona bark scorpions. The girls were shocked at the site of the new monsters and kept inside their quarters. Most of the boys also made for their quarters and safety too. Some however stayed outside feeling that if they could simply get around these new monsters that the open gates to let them outside represented a chance for them to escape and find their way back home. The boys being Arizonans knew something about the deadly bark scorpion in its normal size and figure they should follow much the same ways that they knew in this new size.

Scorpions were known to hunt by a combination of sensory hairs and sound, and to have very poor eyesight, especially on the side vectors. As long as a boy was not close enough to one to contact the sensory hairs on their pincers and sting bearing tail he would generally be safe. Another thing they would have to avoid was too swift movement as that was where the scorpion's sound receiving and limited peripheral vision came in handy on the hunt.

One boy was a little too fast and found himself in a deadly sword fight with a broomstick against the deadly sting and the accompanying pincers of one of the scorpions. Because bark scorpions hunted with their venom however the pincers were very streamlined thin and weak and this trait was further enhanced with the creatures new size. However the swordfight ended quickly when the scorpion was put out of action with a POPGUN CORK. The whangging of peacemakers specifically redesigned against such creatures could also be heard. The boy who was sword fighting the scorpion looked around to see that the wielder of the popgun was a Russian boy dressed in red and red pink with blonde hair. He could also see that there were other rather strange assailants taking out the scorpions. One of them was the stringless puppet whose performance was the supposed reason he was brought here, his father, his older brother and the Puppet Master along with an anthropomorphic fox and cat. Above the action a woodpecker like bird and greenish mallard duck flew. The Russian boy was also accompanied by an orange cat. The boy was more fascinated by what on the surface appeared to be more conventional guns was doing to the scorpions. These weapons actually seemed to be reducing their size to the normal size for such beasts then sucking them into their muzzles by means of a bright blue beam. Within a few minutes there was not a scorpion to be found and the great oak doors were still wide open. The children of Pleasure Town were now free BEFORE they were turned into donkeys.

"Now it's time to find the Coachman and the Ringmaster." Peter said to the Boy he had rescued. "Sorry, but no one leaves until they are found." He was soon accompanied by the puppet boy and his older brother.

The targets of Peter's Pinocchio's and Lampwick's search were still in the lookout building far from any magic spells they could use to escape again copies of which were kept in the administrative offices by the gates of Pleasure Town now guarded by Stromboli's wagons. Pinocchio and Lampwick however bypassed this building and went on to the roller coaster to start the other part of their mission. Pleasure Town did not belong in the timeline of the Earps. Therefore it would not be "jackass" behavior to destroy it and rid the Earp timeline of its influence. Both boys applied matches to the kerosene lanterns they were carrying and threw them at the building covering the roller coaster. Within seconds the roller coaster was in flames and the Coachman's and the Ringmasters latest boy to donkey factory was up in smoke. (There were no children in danger from this because they were all either outside trying an escape or went to the quartering area pf Pleasure Town for safety from the scorpions.) Pinocchio and Lampwick used the roller coaster fire to create torches that were used on the other unoccupied rides and attractions of Pleasure Town. Soon all that was left was the Quartering area, The Lookout building, the administrative offices and the great log fence around pleasure town resembling a military stockade and its great oak gates.

Suddenly someone grabbed Peter from behind. He looked around to see the Ringmaster. "So you three think you put a major block on our plans." he said. "All the stuff your friends torched can be rebuilt. Everything right down to the boy to donkey conversion equipment even id the magical specifications for it here are destroyed. I keep copies of all of my magical formulas in several different places and the originals are where only I can ever find them. You stopped nothing you Junior Kossack. We'll just rebuild again. If not here than elsewhere were a large volume of donkeys will, be profitable.

"That is precisely why you're going to jail." Peter said as he let the cork on his popgun go again hitting the Ringmaster square in the head and knocking him out.

"You got the Ringmaster?" Pinocchio said as he returned to the lookout building. "That means the Coachman must be in or on top of that building too."

Peter and Pinocchio looked for an entrance to the building and eventually found it. Once inside they saw nothing but a spiral staircase leading to the roof of the structure. The idea that it was some kind of look out tower proved to be the right one. The Coachman was mid way down the spiral staircase when the Coachman saw the pair.

"Well." The Coachman said. "If it isn't the Russian and Italian half pints." Well you may have destroyed the boy to donkey factory and you may have captured my adoptive son byt you cant stand up against my guards."

"Sorry but we did that too." Pinocchio returned. "Your guards ran off to save themselves when they released the scorpions from their hats. The scorpions wound up in the glass cartridges of this." He showed the Coachman his gun.

"That pistol Pinoke is carrying bay not be effective against you." Peter said to the Coachman. "But you know this IS!" Peter displayed his pop gun which as the Coachman knew was well enhanced by the Blue Fairy."

"Its time for us to leave and destroy the remainder of this wicked place." Peter told the Coachman aiming the cork loaded muzzle of the pop gun at him. "Now like that wolf back in the Soviet Union you have a choice, the easy way or the HARD way."

The Coachman did not want to deal with that pop gun again with no red star of Alexandrian magic to back him up. He surrendered himself to the two boys upon descending the spiral staircase. Once all three left the look out tower the tower itself was torched and destroyed. After this Pinocchio, Lampwick and Peter made their way to a cage wagon that Sasha had found during his over flight of the Pleasure Town Complex. Geppetto, Stromboli, John Worthington and Gideon were waiting at this wagon. Inside of it was the Ringmaster.

"Pinoke." Peter said. "You take the Coachman to that wagon. There is one more thing that has to be done inside here."

"What?" Pinocchio asked.

"That Administration building has to go." Peter returned. "Not only is it a part of the infection of this timeline with Pleasure Island's timeline but it may also contain the written form of the spells the Ringmaster used to enlarge those scorpions."

"Good thinking." Pinocchio said. "You take this in case there are any more of those scorpions around in that administration building." Pinocchio handed Peter his revolver. "and I'll take your popgun to use in case the Coachman wants to try some "jackass" behavior on me."

Peter handed Pinocchio the popgun and then proceeded towards the oak gates and the administration building. Pinocchio then took the coachman to the cage wagon. Once there Stromboli turned the key in the lock and literally threw the Coachman into the wagon cage with the same force that he used on Pinocchio at their first meeting when he was first given life as a puppet and sold by John Worthington. He then locked the cage and gave the key to Pinocchio.

"Well," John Worthington said. "We've got them, how do we get them out of here."

"I saw some donkeys in a corral just outside the stockade." Lampwick said. "But I'm afraid to use them because they might have been boys at one time."

"They are natural donkeys and can be used to haul this wagon." Geppetto said. "All of the children who were brought here at the behest of Deputy Stilwell, the Coachman and the Ringmaster have been accounted for. NON of them were changed into donkeys while they were here. The Ringmaster also testified that the donkey change never occurred and even confirmed my theory that the boys being brought here by force rather than on their own volition negated the donkey fever curse in this particular instance.

The administration building glowing orange red with flames in the distance told Pinocchio that Peter had completed his last errand in Pleasure Town and was headed back to the wagon. When he arrived he had also brought four of the donkeys from the outer corral to haul the cage wagon.

A grand procession left what remained of Pleasure Town. Taking the lead was the cage wagon containing the Coachman and the Ringmaster driven by Lampwick with Pinocchio and Peter also in the drivers seat accompanied by Sasha, Sonya and Ivan. Jiminy was also present in his usual location under Pinocchio's Tyrolean hat. This was followed by Stromboli's wagons with Stromboli and Geppetto in the driver's seat of the first one and John Worthington and Gideon atop the second one.

The next stop was Tombstone followed by the meeting place for the Blue Fairy to Return them to Pleasure Island Collodi.

**Next. The triumphant procession through Tombstone. Pinocchio is made a real boy again and the return home to Pleasure Island.**


	7. The Return

Chapter 7 - The Return

The Earp Brothers and Doc Holliday barely avoided arrest at the hands of the corrupt Sheriff Behan and Deputy Stilwell for the gunfight that had occurred earlier that day. They spent their time afterwords lounging in front of the Marshal's office and were greeted to at least one welcome sight. That sight was the puppet boy and his family headed out of tombstone toward the north with a procession of three wagons.

The first was some type of "tumbleweed" or prison wagon carrying the Coachman and the Ringmaster and ridden by the puppet boy Pinocchio, his older brother Lampwick and an as yet unidentified boy of the puppet boys age and size who appeared to be of Russian origin. The other two wagons were driven by the puppet master Stromboli the puppet boy's and Lampwick's father and the two anthropomorphic animals that came into Tombstone with him. There were also some pretty normal animals accompanying the boys driving the prison wagon in the form of a bird, a duck and an orange cat all of whom seemed to accompany the Russian boy.

"I see that you picked up some new passengers other than those two crooks from Italy." Wyatt shouted out to Pinocchio.

"Yes," Pinocchio returned. "These are the newest members of our family. The boy is named Peter, the bird is named Sasha, the duck is named Sonya and the cat is named Ivan."

"Than I can assume that boy came here the same way you did from some other reality." Dock Holliday said.

"Yes," Peter returned. "I assume we all got here by way of the young woman with the wings."

Pinocchio whispered to Peter, "You should not be telling natives here about the Blue Fairy. We along with the Coachman and the Ringmaster contaminated this timeline enough without adding to it."

The procession soon left the Earps and Doc Holliday and eventually tombstone itself. Within about a half an hour they were at the place where they landed when their transport bubble took them across the wishing star to this particular Tombstone's timeline. The wishing star was in the sky as the very first star to be seen as usual and from it a smaller blue star emerged. This gradually morphed itself into the Blue Fairy.

"I see you have them this time." The Blue Fairy said to the three boys. "You three can be very proud of this mission. Especially you Pinocchio and Peter. I knew it was not a mistake to take Peter from the dark version of his homeland of Russia that he came from to rescue you Pinocchio when you wished for it. Peter is very brave, truthful and unselfish and will make a splendid addition to the Pleasure Island family if Geppetto OK's it."

"Father has already adopted him." Pinocchio said. "We three are now brothers."

"Splended." the fairy returned and now for you Pinocchio. "The fairy pointed her wand at the puppet and once again he was a real boy."

"Thank you." Pinocchio said. "But there is one more thing. What about the coachman and the Ringmaster?"

"They must be taken care of by the laws of Duckburg and Tuscany." the Fairy returned. "And Don't worry about the Ringmaster's magic. Without access to his written spells and incantations from the Alexandrian Library he can not work any magic."

"That's good." Pinocchio said.

"Now are you ready to return home?" he fairy asked.

"Yes," Pinocchio returned.

With that the familiar blue transport bubble formed around the three wagons and the accompanying horses and natural donkeys. It lifted off and after the jump through the Wishing Star's wormhole they were headed for the coast of Tuscany and Pleasure Island Collodi.

Pleasure Island Collodi, off the Coast of Tuscany Italy, 1882.

During the time Pinocchio's family was in Tombstone Pleasure Island Collodi was being run by an adult Junior Woodchuck Leader who put Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck in charge of the kids there. The three duck boys ran a taught ship in Geppetto's absence and even got sever new Recruits for the Junior Woodchucks troop on Pleasure Island Duckburg from the Collodi side. Huey also ran Lampwick's slingshot shooting gallery in his absence.

It was from the shooting gallery that Huey looked up into the sky and saw the transport bubble descending. It was headed for the barrel ride. He went immediately to find Dewey and Louie in the children's boarding area.

"Pinocchio and the gang are returning!" Huey shouted. "They will be landing by the barrel ride building any minute now!

Huey returned to the barrel ride building with Dewey, Louie and several Junior Woodchucks just as the transport bubble landed. It dispersed to reveal three wagons six donkeys and a horse with their passengers of assorted species. One of these was a prison wagon with the Coachman and the Ringmaster in it with three boys, a bird, a non anthropomorphic duck and an orange cat in the drivers seat. The other wagons were occupied by Geppetto, Stromboli, John Worthington and Gideon.

Almost immediately the duck boys' attention was directed at the third boy on the prison wagon who was dressed in red and reddish pink with blonde hair and carried a toy pop gun.

"Who's he." Dewey asked Pinocchio.

"This is Peter from Russia." Pinocchio announced. "The Blue Fairy brought him to Tombstone when we got into some trouble there and needed help. For giving that help he is the newest member of our family."

"Well the more the merrier." Huey said. "Have you told him about the Junior Woodchucks yet?"

"Yes they have." Peter said. "And I'm very interested in your organization."

"Good," Huey Returned. "There is a meeting in two days on the Duckburg Pleasure Island and you can come and look us over for yourself."

Geppetto then came to the prison wagon and pretty much leaving the kids to their Junior Woodchuck talk addressed the Coachman and the Ringmaster. "As you told many a boy you changed into a donkey you had your fun and now it's time to PAY FOR IT. We will be handing your son the Ringmaster over to the Collodi authorities for his punishment and you Mr. Coachman are going right back to the Duckburg pen where you came from. The adult Junior Woodchuck leaders have brought some police from both timelines here to facilitate your official arrests.

With that some big tough humans in Italian police uniform and some equally tough dog men in Duckburh police uniform came to the wagon and took the Ringmaster and the Coachman into custody. "It will be a very long tome if ever before you turn some boy into a donkey again. "Geppetto announced."

Once the Coachman and the Ringmaster were dealt with Stromboli went back to the puppetry area, Lampwick went back to his sling shot shooting gallery, John Worthington and Gideon returned to Pleasure Islands advertising department and Geppetto along with Pinocchio, Peter and his animal friends, Sasha, Sonya and Ivan went off in the direction of the administration building. There was only one thing that Geppetto was concerned about at the time. That was Peter's cat Ivan and his own cat Figgero. Cats were notorious for not getting along when they first see one another so Peter would definitely have to keep Ivan in his assigned room for a while until Figgero got used to his presence.

Little did Geppetto know however that cat jealousy between Ivan and Figgero was to be the least of his worries.

The end of this Fan Fic.

Next. There is a new scorpion threat on Pleasure Island and this one does NOT come from the Ringmaster or the Coachman both of whom are now in Prisons in Collodi (Ringmaster) and Duckburg(Coachman). Who is now bringing giant scorpions to Pleasure Island and for what reason? The answer is in this new Fan Fic featuring Peter in his first full length adventure with Pinocchio called Peter, Pinocchio and the Scorpion.


End file.
